ACL compiles a daily media monitoring service of stories of interest to the Christian constituency relating to children, family, drugs and alcohol, marriage, human rights, religious freedom etc. Visit the ACL’s website each day to see what’s of interest in the news. Please note that selection of the articles does not represent ACL endorsement of the content.

Children & Family

Family outraged by divorce classes

FREE divorce classes teaching Melbourne couples how to make a quick and cheap exit from their marriages have raised the ire of family groups. Participants will be able to leave the two-hour lessons, starting tomorrow night at Preston Library, with all the necessary paperwork filled out and ready to lodge with the Family Law Court.

A LEGAL showdown between Google and a Gold Coast entrepreneur could set a precedent that helps lift the veil from anonymous online commentators. Self-help guru and motivational speaker Jamie McIntyre has launched action in the Supreme Court to force the internet giant to release details of those behind a website labelling him a "thieving scumbag",

Ipswich embroiled in national pokie debate after Member for Blair Shayne Neumann targeted by lobby group's campaign

Ipswich has become embroiled in the national debate over pokie reform after a lobby group filled letterboxes with pamphlets. Clubs Australia used the pamphlets to target Member for Blair Shayne Neumann, for a government decision to introduce mandatory pre-registration for gambling on poker machines.

AUSTRALIA'S problem of toxic partisanship now on display is a mini variation of the North Atlantic political malaise that threatens Western economies with weaker growth, more bank failures and shot investor confidence.The unifying theme among Western nations is political lethargy that cripples policy action. The idea of a crisis of governance in the West only gains more traction. Financial markets have lost confidence in political leadership.

FRIDAY'S edition of The Australian carried two opinion pieces on Julia Gillard's prospects. Graham Richardson, Labor's most astute numbers man, said: "While wholesale panic has not yet set in, there is movement at the station on the leadership question. [Kevin] Rudd always had some supporters and the prospect of losing 40 seats has seen that support base grow from about 10 to somewhere in the early 20s." Dennis Shanahan reported: "It has begun. The destabilisation of Julia Gillard's leadership is under way, there's no knowing where it will end or what the result will be, but be in no doubt - it has begun." The consoling fictions that Gillard's position is secure and any boat-rocking is just mischief-making by the opposition need to be seen for what they are. Gillard is now referred to by some of her own backbenchers as "Madam 26 per cent", the record low primary vote Newspoll gives Labor.

THIRTEEN people are dead and nine missing after a boat sank off Indonesia's East Java province. "Thirteen people were killed in a boat accident off the coast of Raas island. Nine people are still missing," Surabaya city search and rescue agency head Sutrisno said.

PEOPLE-SMUGGLERS had crammed 50 asylum-seekers into a tiny, secret compartment beneath the deck of an Indonesian fishing boat, where they remained hidden from a Customs boarding party until the boat docked at Christmas Island. Customs and Border Protection was forced into an embarrassing admission yesterday, revealing that the initial search of one of two vessels intercepted within hours of each other failed to uncover almost half of its passengers.

TONY Abbott has been copping it from all sides for his decision not to accede to the government's demands to support legislation to enable the Malaysia Solution to go ahead. The Left has dismissed any suggestion he is protecting the rights of asylum-seekers and conservative commentators are concerned that by blocking the government's plan he risks opening the door to Labor in opposition doing the same on Nauru.

CRIME Stoppers could take anonymous tips about workplace bullies, sexual harassment and dodgy restaurants under a controversial plan to expand the reporting hotline role

After providing Queensland police with tips that have led to more than 55,000 charges including 21 murders the charity is looking at opening up the hotline to complaints about office bullying and sexual harassment.